Kvichak Marine wins another pilot boat order

MARCH 12, 2013 — Kvichak Marine Industries, Seattle, WA, has won another pilot boat order: a contract to build a self-righting 72 ft all-aluminum pilot boat for the Columbia River Bar Pilots (CRBP) of Astoria, OR, for delivery in February, 2014.

The continued success and reliability of the CRBP's pilot boats Columbia and Chinook led CRBP to once again choose Camarc, Ltd., of the U.K. as the designer and Kvichak Marine as the builder for the new boat, the Astoria.

The CRBP pilots operate the vessels over the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River. Known for its extreme weather and turbulent waters, the Columbia River Bar is where the Columbia River collides with the Pacific Ocean. The resulting conditions require reliable, stable and, at times, self-righting pilot boats that safely and successfully transport pilots to and from the ships, tankers and tugs that navigate across the Bar.

Power for the 75.5 ft x 21.5 ft Astoria is provided by twin MTU 16V2000 M70 marine diesel engines rated for 1,410 BHP @ 21,00 RPM and twin ZF 3050 electric shift transmissions. The engines are coupled to a pair of Hamilton 651 waterjets. Top speed is over 29 knots; cruise speed is about 25 knots.